


sharing the same dream

by usernameapathy



Category: Tales of Berseria
Genre: F/F, Tales of Femslash 2019, Technically endgame spoilers, not actually an AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 07:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usernameapathy/pseuds/usernameapathy
Summary: A second meeting, after the final battle.Written for Tales of Femslash Week 2019 - Day 4: Reunion.





	sharing the same dream

They've just come back into Loegres through the Aldina gate, both of them for once feeling equally tired and glad to be out of the worst of the wind, when they run into the young woman. Velvet's glancing around the square, not looking for anything in particular, when a reddish flash catches her eye and she looks to see her: a girl about her own age sitting by the side of one of the frozen fountains with a travel bag besides her. She has red hair pinned up with blue flowers and is wearing a simple winter coat and white-and-gold boots that don't quite manage to come all the way up to her hemline.  
  
She thinks, idly, that it's not a bad look. Then nudges Laphicet. "Hey, isn't that - ?"  
  
"That's the nice girl we met back at that giant temple, right?" her little brother confirms. "Right after you got into a fight with that nasty lady exorcist."  
  
"After _I_ got into a fight? And just who was it that just up and called her brother an idiot, young man?"  
  
Laphi looks totally unrepentant, albeit pouty, in the way only a young teenager can. "He _was_ being an idiot. If he hadn't been keeping up on the latest writing about Avarost civilization then he should have just said so, instead of making things up."  
  
As they've spoken they've been walking towards the fountain, and as they get closer Velvet notices the girl's face is damp with what looks like tears, her green eyes still wet even despite the cold. "Hey, are you all right?" she asks, reaching out a hand. "Have you been crying?"  
  
The young woman looks up. "No, I'm fine," she says, and her radiant smile certainly seems to support it, though her voice still sounds just that little bit shaky. "It's just that... I heard recently from a, a friend of mine who I've been missing quite a lot for a long time." She stands up. "Really, there's nothing wrong. Hey, I remember you two from the Throne, don't I? Velvet, wasn't it?"  
  
"Velvet Crowe," Velvet confirms with a big smile, "and this is my little brother Laphicet. I don't think we ever got your name?"  
  
"Eleanor Hume." They shake hands; from the strength of her grip, Eleanor's clearly done something similar to her own training with Arthur back at home, even if she's gripping a little _too_ tightly. Eleanor quickly seems to notice, though, and lets go with a small blush.  
  
Velvet looks at her curiously for a moment. There's something naggingly familiar...  
  
"Hey, have we met before? I mean, besides the last time? I keep thinking I've seen you somewhere before."  
  
Eleanor clasps her hands together. "Maybe somewhere, but I wouldn't blame you for forgetting. From what you two said the last time, you've been having some particularly amazing adventures these last few years."  
  
"Have we ever!" Laphi exclaims. "We've sailed as part of the crew on a real live pirate ship, and a witch saved us from werewolves once, and... But hey, you must have had some adventures too. I mean, you're an exorcist, right? Like Arthur used to be?"  
  
Eleanor tilts her head. "Arthur?" Her voice is curious, but for some reason also carries that faint tinge of sadness again.  
  
"Our brother-in-law," Velvet explains. "He was an exorcist back before he met our older sister Celica, and for a while he kept thinking about going back to it, but when they had their son he decided to settle down for good."  
  
"When I was younger I wanted to be one too, but I think now I'd rather just be an explorer," Laphicet says. "So is your malak partner nearby? Can we meet him?"  
  
Eleanor clasps her hands behind her back and looks down. "I suppose technically I'm not an exorcist anymore either. I used to be bonded with a malak who was a little younger than you are, but these days he's all grown up and doing something much more important... I'm sure he'd love to meet you too, though!"  
  
She looks back up. "So you two said last time that you've always wanted to travel the world together, right? That... must be nice."  
  
"It's really Laphi - Laphicet's dream more than mine," Velvet replies. "He was sick a lot when he was younger and so he'd spend a lot of time in his room looking at maps of the world and planning out the journeys he wanted to make. Now that he's older and stronger and can make those journeys, I'm mostly just tagging along to look after him."  
  
"_Vel-vet!_" Her brother, naturally, objects to this characterization. "She knows I don't need looking after, she's just saying that because she knows it bugs me. She likes traveling almost as much as I do, as long as we're together."  
  
Eleanor laughs. "It sounds like a lot of fun. Actually..." She looks down again. "This might sound a bit, um, forward of me, but if it's all right with you, could you - would you mind if I traveled with you two for a while? I haven't... really done a lot of traveling in a while. Except for work, some. But not with friends. I miss that a little."  
  
Laphicet's voice takes on a teasing tone. "Believe me, I'm sure Velvet wouldn't mind having a cute redhead tagging along with us _at all_."  
  
"_Laphi!_" Velvet admonishes, eyes widening a little. She looks at Eleanor, embarrassed. "Sorry. Before we left our village I asked this friend of mine to dance at the harvest festival and he's been absolutely _unbearable_ about it ever since. Don't pay attention to him."  
  
Eleanor laughs again. (It's a nice laugh, though Velvet certainly won't be saying so out loud right now.) "That's all right. This sort of thing is just what little brothers are for. Or, I mean, so I've heard; I don't actually have one myself. And besides, I'm sure you'll have plenty of people to tease him about as he gets older."  
  
Velvet grins at Laphi. "That's right. You're turning sixteen in less than a year; sounds riiight about the time you're due to get a first crush."  
  
"Not gonna happen!" her brother protests indignantly. "I'm an explorer! Great explorers have way too much adventuring to do to fall in love."  
  
"Maybe not, but I'm sure a journey's more fun when there's someone you care about to share it with you," Velvet reminds him pointedly. She looks over at Eleanor to see that the other girl has turned away. "Anyway, sure, you're welcome to come along. Though I should warn you now, we don't really have a plan for where we're going and we get lost on the way a _lot_."  
  
Eleanor looks back and smiles. "That shouldn't be a problem." She picks up her bag, then stops, noticing that Velvet is staring at her. "Is there something else?"  
  
"Are you _sure_ we haven't met before? You really do seem familiar from somewhere and - seriously? You're tearing up _again?_"  
  
Eleanor wipes her eyes. "Sorry. It's nothing. I guess I'm... I am a little bit of a crybaby sometimes. That... doesn't bother you, does it?"  
  
_Actually I think it's cute,_ she'd say if her little brother wasn't there, but instead she just says "It's no problem."   
  
The sun has started to slip a little lower in the sky by now, and while the middle of winter's behind them it's still fairly cold out, so Velvet turns purposefully. "So, should we get inside an inn and figure out where we want to go, Miss Former Exorcist Hume?"  
  
"All right."  
  
(Laphicet sticks his tongue out behind her back as they set off. Velvet ignores him.)

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure what to say here... I saw the prompt and the idea just kind of grabbed me.


End file.
